For example, the card connector shown in FIG. 17 (see Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. H6-151004) is known as a conventional card connector of this type.
This card connector 101 is mounted on a circuit board PCB, and comprises a connector part 102 into which a card (not shown in the figure) such as a PCMCIA standard PC card is inserted, and an ejection mechanism 103 which ejects the card from the connector part 102. Furthermore, the ejection mechanism 103 comprises a cam arm 104 which is installed in the connector part 102 so that this cam arm can pivot and which ejects the card from the connector part 102 by pushing the front end (upper end in FIG. 17) of the card that is inserted into the connector part 102 to the rear, and a push rod 105 which is linked with the cam arm 104 and which can move linearly in the forward-rearward direction.
This card connector 101 is devised so that when a card is inserted into the connector part 102, the card and the circuit board PCB are electrically connected via the connector part 102. Furthermore, when the push rod 105 is caused to move forward linearly while the card is inserted in the connector part 102, the cam arm 104 pivots to push the front end of the card I a rearward direction, so that the card is ejected from the connector part 102.
Demand has increased in recent years for the use of the card connector 101 shown in FIG. 17 comprising an ejection mechanism, for example, in a subscriber-system television setup box. In a setup box, there are cases in which a card is connected to the card connector 101 for a long time because of the circumstances of the viewers. When a card is connected to the card connector 101 for a long time, there is a danger that the temperature of the card will be elevated, which will cause operational malfunction. Accordingly, there is a need for dissipating heat.
Methods for dissipating heat of a card include a method in which a card is caused to contact a heatsink, a method in which heat dissipation of a card is performed by means of a heat-dissipating fan, and the like. However, the method that uses a heat-dissipating fan is not suitable for dissipating heat of a card used in a setup box since the sound of the rotating heat-dissipating fan is annoying to the viewers.
Therefore, it is preferable to use a method for dissipating heat of a card by means of the method in which a card is caused to contact a heatsink. However, heat dissipation of the card cannot be performed in the card connector 101 shown in FIG. 17.
Meanwhile, the IC socket shown in FIG. 18 (see Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. 2001-24370) has conventionally been known as a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) type IC socket in which heat dissipation of an electronic component is performed by means of a heatsink.
This IC socket 201 comprises a housing 202 in which a plurality of socket contacts 203 are arranged in the form of a matrix, a slider 207 which is disposed on the housing 202 so that this slider can move, and a component attachment-detachment operation/pressing member 204 which is provided on the housing 202 so that this member can pivot. The component attachment-detachment operation/pressing member 204 comprises a component attachment-detachment operation lever 205 which is disposed on the housing 202 in a pivotable manner and which causes the slider 205 to move, and a component pressing part 206 which is integrally formed with the component attachment-detachment operation lever part 205 and which presses the upper surface of a heatsink 220 placed on an electronic component 210 that is in the mounted and connected state.
Furthermore, when the component attachment-detachment operation lever 205 is placed in an upright state, i.e., when the slider 207 is in a state in which an electronic component can be mounted, the electronic component 210 is mounted on the slider 207, and the heatsink 220 is placed on this electronic component 210. Afterward, the component attachment-detachment operation lever part 205 is pivoted and engaged with a locking part 208. As a result, the slider 207 moves over the housing 202, and the contacts (not shown in the figure) provided on the electronic component 210 make contact with the socket contacts 203 with a pressure being applied; at the same time, the component pressing part 206 presses the upper surface of the heatsink 220, so that the electronic component 210 and the heatsink 220 are tightly attached. As a result, heat dissipation of the electronic component 210 is possible. Furthermore, when the electronic component 210 is to be removed, it is only necessary to cause the component attachment-detachment operation lever part 205 to pivot and stand, to remove the heatsink 220, and subsequently to remove the electronic component 210.
However, in the IC socket 201 shown in FIG. 18, the worker must operate the heatsink 220 when attaching and detaching the electronic component 201. Accordingly, if this technology is applied to the card connector 101 shown in FIG. 17, for instance, the consumer (viewer) is required to operate the heatsink, besides operating the ejection of the card, so that this IC socket is not suitable for consumer use.